Quick answer: there is no single universal “solar panel grant” in the UK, but there is real help available in 2026: 0% VAT on home solar installations (until 31 March 2027), the Smart Export Guarantee that pays you for the electricity you export, the Warm Homes: Local Grant for lower-income households in England, and ECO4 funding (running until the end of 2026) for eligible homes as part of a whole-house energy retrofit. Which of these you can use depends on your income, benefits, EPC rating and local council. Below is what each scheme actually offers — and how to find out what you qualify for.
Is there a government grant for solar panels in 2026?
Not in the way most people imagine. The days of a universal feed-in tariff or a blanket “free solar panels” scheme are gone. What exists instead is a mix of tax relief, export payments and targeted funding for specific households. Some of it applies to everyone; some of it is means-tested. It changes often — schemes close, deadlines move and councils opt in and out — so it is always worth checking before you assume you do or don’t qualify.
0% VAT on solar panels — for every homeowner
The simplest saving of all: home solar panel and battery storage installations currently carry 0% VAT, compared with the standard 20%. On a typical home system that is a four-figure saving, it applies to every homeowner regardless of income, and there is no application process — the discount is simply built into your installer’s quote. The 0% rate is currently scheduled to run until 31 March 2027, which is worth bearing in mind if you have been putting the decision off. We have looked at what 0% VAT on solar panels means and when it ends in more detail.
Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — get paid for what you export
The Smart Export Guarantee is not a grant, but it is ongoing money back. Energy suppliers must offer to pay you for the surplus electricity your panels export to the grid. Rates vary a lot between suppliers and tariffs, so it pays to compare — the difference can be worth hundreds of pounds a year on a typical system. To qualify, your system needs to be installed by an MCS-certified installer (all DES installations are) and you need a smart meter that can measure exports.
Warm Homes: Local Grant — England, means-tested
The Warm Homes: Local Grant funds energy-efficiency upgrades — including solar PV and battery storage — for eligible lower-income households in participating English council areas, potentially covering the full cost of measures. Eligibility is set locally but typically involves a household income threshold, a lower EPC rating (D–G) and owning your home. Whether Dorset, Hampshire or Wiltshire households can apply depends on what your local authority is running at the time, so check with your council or ask us and we will point you in the right direction.
ECO4 — running until the end of 2026
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) requires large energy suppliers to fund improvements for low-income and vulnerable households, usually those receiving qualifying benefits (or referred through their council under “LA Flex”). Solar is only funded under ECO4 as part of a whole-house retrofit rather than as a stand-alone measure, and the scheme is due to finish at the end of December 2026 — so if you think you might qualify, don’t leave it late.
Other help worth knowing about
The government’s wider Warm Homes Plan is expected to add low-cost loans and further support for solar and batteries from 2027, and some councils run Solar Together group-buying rounds that cut installation costs through bulk purchasing. Scotland and Wales run their own separate schemes. None of these are guaranteed to be open in your area at any given moment — which is exactly why it is worth asking an installer who deals with them every week.
What if I don’t qualify for any grant?
Most households don’t qualify for means-tested funding — and still go ahead, because the economics of solar now stand on their own: 0% VAT, export payments through the SEG, and dramatically lower daytime import costs. Pairing panels with a battery (see our guide to the Tesla Powerwall) stretches the savings further into the evening. You can read more about a typical home installation on our residential solar page or our complete homeowner’s guide to solar panels.
Find out what you qualify for — in one phone call
Grant schemes open, close and change their rules constantly, and the honest answer to “what can I get?” is always specific to your home, your income and your council. That is exactly what we do every day. Call DES Renewables on 01202 985 888 or get in touch online and we will tell you which schemes your household can actually use, and give you a free, no-obligation quote either way.
Scheme details correct as at August 2026. Eligibility rules and end dates are set by government and can change — we will confirm what applies to you before you commit to anything.